The present invention relates to a vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser (VCSEL) comprising one or more quantum well layers and first and second mirror means defining a laser cavity therebetween.
A VCSEL is a semiconductor laser device including one or more semiconductor layers exhibiting an appropriate band gap structure to emit light in a desired wavelength range perpendicularly to the one or more semiconductor layers. Typically, the thickness of a corresponding semiconductor layer is in the range of a few nanometers. In the case of a multi-quantum well laser, the thickness and the strain created during the formation of the stack of semiconductor layers having, in an alternating fashion, a different gap determine the position of the energy level in the quantum wells of the conduction bands and valence bands defined by the layer stack. The position of the energy levels defines the wavelength of the radiation that is emitted by recombination of an electron-hole-pair confined in the respective quantum wells. Contrary to edge emitting semiconductor laser devices, the current flow and the light propagation occurs in a vertical direction with respect to the semiconductor layers. Above and below the semiconductor layers respective mirrors, also denoted as top and bottom mirrors, wherein the terms xe2x80x9ctopxe2x80x9d and xe2x80x9cbottomxe2x80x9d are exchangeable, are provided and form a resonator to define an optical cavity. The laser radiation established by the resonator is coupled out through that mirror having the lower reflectivity.
Although VCSEL devices suffer from relatively low output power due to their small laser cavity, VCSELs are steadily gaining in importance in a variety of technical fields, since a VCSEL device exhibits a number of advantages when compared to a conventional double heterostructure laser diode, also referred to as edge-emitting lasers. First, a large number of VCSEL devices can be fabricated and entirely tested on the initial substrate, so that a significant reduction in manufacturing costs is obtained compared to edge-emitting lasers. Second, the overall volume of a single VCSEL device is reduced by a factor of about 10-100 compared to the double heterostructure laser diode. Third, due to the extremely small volume of the gain region that is defined in the vertical direction by the thickness of the semiconductor layers having in alternating fashion a different band gap, the current for operating the VCSEL device is in the range of a few milliampers, whereby a high efficiency of conversion of current into light is achieved. Fourth, a further VCSEL device exhibits a relatively low beam divergence, which allows a high coupling efficiency to other optical components, such as optical fibers, without the necessity of additional converging optical elements.
In order to take full advantage of the characteristics of a relatively small gain volume of VCSEL devices, the mirrors defining the laser cavity and usually provided in the form of Bragg mirrors must exhibit a high reflectivity owing to the small optical length of the gain volume, since resonator losses are inversely proportional to the resonator length, good electrical conductivity, since at least a portion of the injection current is lead through the layer stack of the Bragg mirror, and a low thermal resistance to conduct the heat generated in the gain region to the periphery of the VCSEL device. Presently a huge variety of VCSEL devices formed on a gallium arsenide (GaAs) substrate comprising gallium arsenide-aluminum arsenide (GaAs/AlAs) based Bragg mirrors are commercially available, wherein the Bragg mirrors substantially fulfill the above-mentioned criteria. These commercially available VCSEL devices are adapted to operate in a wavelength range of about 850-980 nm. Laser devices operating in this wavelength range are suitable for a variety of applications, including short-haul applications in data communication systems. For usage of VCSEL devices in combination with long-haul fiber optical cables, the operation wavelength of the VCSEL devices has to be increased to about 1.3-1.55 xcexcm, since the typically employed optical fibers exhibit their dispersion minimum and their absorption minimum, respectively, at the wavelength of 1.3 xcexcm and 1.55 xcexcm. Modification of standard VCSEL devices operating in the wavelength range below 1 xcexcm, however, for the required long wavelength range is not a straightforward development, since formation of adequately defined quantum wells with materials that are lattice-matched to GaAs require a highly-strained semiconductor layer, thereby rendering the VCSEL devices obtained as unreliable. Therefore, commonly employed semiconductor compounds that are lattice-matched to indium phosphide are used for semiconductor laser devices operating at a wavelength of 1.3-1.55 xcexcm, wherein, however, the complex technology developed for GaAs-based substrates may not be directly transferred to indium-phosphide (InP) based VCSEL devices.
In view of the above-identified problems, a great effort has been made to realize a VCSEL device operating in the long wavelength range and exhibiting a relatively high output power combined with a good temperature stability. In order to meet these requirements, some serious problems have to be solved.
First, traditional indium-phosphide based materials used as an gain region in a long wavelength VCSEL device do not provide sufficient contrast in refractive index to allow the fabrication of highly reflective distributed Bragg reflectors required for the proper operation of the VCSEL device. Due to the reduced volume of the gain region of the resonator combined with not high-enough reflective mirrors, an increased operating current is required to obtain a stimulated emission. To date, therefore, only pulsed operation at room temperature is achieved.
Second, photon absorption by free charge carriers, i.e., by charge carriers that can xe2x80x9cfreelyxe2x80x9d move within the conduction band or the valency band, increases with wavelength of the photons as well as with the charge carrier concentration. In particular, in a semiconductor laser relatively high charge carrier concentrations are required which will, in combination with the longer wavelength of the photons, therefore limit the maximum achievable mirror reflectivity owing to the increased absorption of the semiconductor layers forming the Bragg reflectors.
Third, as is known from edge-emitting lasers GalnAsP (gallium/indium/arsenic/phosphorous) has a poorer gain versus temperature performance than a GaAs-based gain region due to a reduced carrier confinement and increased Auger recombination.
To overcome these technological challenges, two approaches have been proposed. The first approach involves hybrid structures that use InGaAsP/InP or InGaAs/InGaAlAs quantum wells/barriers-based gain regions and mirrors formed by depositing dielectrics or growing semiconductor materials by epitaxy. Presently, the most promising long wavelength VCSEL devices have been manufactured by wafer fusion of a wafer bearing an InGaAsP gain region and a wafer bearing AlGaAs based distributed Bragg reflectors. The wafer fusion technique, however, requires multiple substrates and is difficult to accomplish on a full wafer basis. Consequently, it is very difficult to establish a reliable fabrication process on the basis of this technology.
The second approach proposes the formation of a complete VCSEL structure in a single step by epitaxial growth. To this end, new materials appropriate for emitting at long wavelengths have been directly grown on a GaAs substrate so that AlGaAs distributed Bragg reflectors may be used in combination with these new materials forming the gain region. Emission at 1.3 xcexcm has been shown with GalnNAs, GaAsSb quantum wells and InGaAs quantum dots. Promising wells have been obtained by using antimonide-based distributed Bragg reflectors that are lattice-matched to indium phosphide.
xe2x80x9cElectrically-pumped single epitaxial VCSELs at 1.55 xcexcm with Sb-based mirrorsxe2x80x9d, by E. Hall et al., Electronics Letters, Aug. 5, 1999, Vol. 35, No. 16, pages 1337 onwards, discloses an electrically pumped Sb-based vertical-cavity laser operating at 1.55 xcexcm which is produced in a single epitaxial growth. This VCSEL device comprises AlGaAsSb mirrors and an AllnGaAs-based gain region and exhibits a threshold current density of 1.4 kA/cm2, i.e., approximately 7 mA, at room temperature. This value was obtained by a pulsed operation of the VCSEL device, wherein the threshold current increased to about 15.5 mA at a maximum operating temperature at 45xc2x0 C. At higher currents, the VCSEL device exhibited a strong multi-mode behavior. Due to the relatively high voltage drop across the distributed Bragg reflectors and due to a reduced mode-gain alignment, a continuous wave operation was not feasible with this device.
In view of the above consideration, it is therefore desirable to have a VCSEL device operating in a long wavelength range at elevated temperatures well above room temperature and capable of operating in a continuous wave mode.
According to the present invention the object is solved by a vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser comprising one or more quantum well layers and one or more barrier layers to define a laser gain region having a first and a second surface, a first mirror means and a second mirror means, wherein the first and second mirror means define a resonator. The vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser is characterized in that it further comprises a first indium phosphide layer adjacent to the gain region and a second indium phosphide layer adjacent to the gain region, wherein the first and second indium phosphide layers sandwich the gain region to define a laser cavity.
In conventional double heterostructure laser diodes, the quantum well region is embedded in materials with a higher index of refraction than the surrounding claddings to form a transverse dielectric optical waveguide with its optical axis along the longitudinal direction. Currently, the same sequence of material layers forming the quantum well region is applied to VCSEL devices. Contrary to the transverse light propagation in an edge-emitting laser, however, in a VCSEL light propagation occurs substantially perpendicular to the material layers so that the waveguide function provided by the material layers of outwardly decreasing index of refraction in the transverse direction is actually not required. Therefore, a low index material can be implemented in the vertical cavity of the VCSEL as has already been demonstrated in AlGaAs-based VCSEL devices. In this known material system, however, AlAs has to be used which brings with it several disadvantages in terms of electrical conductivity, technological problems in fabricating high quality materials and, hence, in reliability. Contrary thereto, the present invention provides a laser cavity comprising an InP region sandwiching the gain region and possible barrier layers. Consequently, the inventive laser cavity allows the employment of a low index material to thereby enhance the relative intensity of the electrical field at the location of the quantum well layers which has a direct incidence on the stimulated emission rate. Accordingly, an enhanced photon generation rate can be achieved compared to a conventional cavity design.
Moreover, the first and second indium phosphide layers adjacent to the gain region provide a significantly improved thermal conductivity. In particular, at a longer wavelength, for example at wavelengths of 1.3-1.55 xcexcm, non-radiative Auger recombinations are more dominant and the gain obtained from the quantum wells is strongly affected by any temperature increase. Since indium phosphide has a thermal conductivity of about 0.68 W/mK, the heat generated in the gain region can efficiently be distributed to the periphery of the device. This advantage provided by the present invention additionally gains in importance since only ternary or quaternary alloys can be formed in a lattice-matched fashion on an indium phosphide based substrate, wherein in conventional devices the major limitation arises from the multi-alloyed layers due to their poor thermal conductivity which is directly dependent on the number of different atoms in the lattice. Especially quaternary-based distributed Bragg reflectors grown on indium phosphide act as heat barriers, remarkably reducing the heat dissipation by means of the heat sink substrate attached to the VCSEL device. Contrary thereto, according to the present invention, the binary indium phosphide layers in the laser cavity allow to effectively transport heat to the periphery, thereby effectively circumventing the distributed Bragg reflectors acting as heat barriers.
As is well known, the appropriate alignment of energy bands of the various semiconductor layers defining the VCSEL device is a most critical issue in achieving low voltage operation and efficient current injection. To this end, the conduction band and valence band offsets represent the dominating parameters and should be adjusted to adequately small values. The indium phosphide layers in the inventive VCSEL exhibit a low band misalignment with the material systems comprising AlGalnAs, AlGaAsSb and InGaAsP, wherein, on the other hand, a sufficiently high band gap exists to allow these material systems to be efficiently used in distributed Bragg reflectors. Moreover, undoped indium phosphide offers a very high carrier mobility; a typical electron mobility is, for example, 5370 cm2/Vs at 300K, and a typical hole mobility is 150 cm2/Vs at 300K. These high values give rise to a long diffusion path of the charge carriers within the undoped indium phosphide layers so that the carrier injection efficiency, i.e., the portion of charge carriers injected into the VCSEL device that actually arrives at the gain region, is efficiently increased.
A further issue of quantum well structures is the leakage of carriers through the barrier layers which separate one quantum well layer from a subsequent quantum well layer or which separate the gain region from the residual optical cavity. In particular, at a higher temperature and a high carrier density, the laser performance is deteriorated due to increasing leakage currents through the barrier layers. The electrons with their smaller effective mass require a tighter confinement to the quantum well layers than the holes. According to the present invention, the first and second indium phosphide layers serving as barriers for, e.g. low band gap gain regions formed by GalnAs (gallium/indium/arsenic), AlGalnAs (aluminum/gallium/indium/arsenic), or InGaAsP (indium/gallium/arsenic/phosphorous), provide a more efficient electron confinement than is practical for conventional InGaAsP systems, thereby significantly reducing electron leakage through the barrier layer.
Another advantage of the present invention concerns the fabrication of the long-wavelength VCSEL device. Currently, indium phosphide material may be epitaxially grown substantially without defects and with a good reliability by the commonly used semiconductor epitaxy techniques, such as metal organic vapor phase epitaxy, molecular beam epitaxy, vapor phase epitaxy, and the like. During the fabrication of the distributed Bragg reflectors, however, a non-negligible amount of strain may accumulate in the epitaxial layers due to a slight lattice mismatch. According to the present invention, this strain that will adversely affect the performance of conventional devices is significantly reduced in that indium phosphide is used as the laser cavity material to absorb a large amount of the strain. Moreover, it is well known that the growth of an entire indium phosphide based VCSEL including quartenary systems is extremely critical owing to the large number of growth parameters affecting the formation of the entire structure. Consequently, the introduction of indium phosphide as a binary material during the growth of the VCSEL efficiently favors the lattice match of subsequent layers.
In a further embodiment, the VCSEL comprises one or more quantum well layers designed to have energy eigenvalues for generating radiation in the wavelength range from approximately 1000 nm to 2000 nm.
As previously noted, a laser device operating in the above-identified wavelength range may advantageously be employed in optical communication systems.
In a further embodiment, the VCSEL comprises quantum well layers that are designed to have energy eigenvalues for generating radiation in the wavelength range from approximately 1300-1600 nm.
In particular, this wavelength range allows the VCSEL of the present invention to be used in combination with conventionally designed optical fibers which exhibit a minimum dispersion and a minimum absorption at a wavelength of approximately 1300 nm and 1550 nm, respectively.
Preferably, the first and second mirror means are positioned to define a resonator to stabilize radiation of the wavelength of approximately 1300 nm or of approximately 1550 nm.
As previously noted, these two wavelengths are the commonly preferred wavelengths in optical data communication systems using optical fibers.
In a further embodiment, an optical thickness of the laser cavity in the longitudinal dimension is approximately (n+xc2xd)xc3x97xcex, wherein n is an integer number and xcex is the approximate output wavelength of the VCSEL device.
By forming the laser cavity, with an optical length of approximately (n+xc2xd)xc3x97xcex, substantially being comprised of indium phosphide layers surrounding the quantum well layers located at the center of the cavity, the relative intensity of the electrical field within the laser cavity is significantly enhanced at the position of the quantum well layers. As will be discussed in more detail in the following description, the application of an (n+xc2xd)xc3x97xcex laser cavity having a relatively low index of refraction due to the first and second indium phosphide layers favors a higher electrical field in the quantum well layers compared to the neighboring intensity peaks of the electrical field at the first high-to-low refractive index transitions of the first and second mirrors. Contrary to this, the employment of material layers of high index of refraction in the laser cavity will distribute the amplitudes of the intensity peaks of the electrical field more evenly between the quantum well layers disposed at the center of the cavity and the first high-to-low refractive index transitions of the distributed Bragg reflectors. Accordingly, a significantly less efficient stimulated emission rate in the quantum well layers and, thus, a significantly lower gain will be obtained. In conventional VCSEL designs using high-index layers in the laser cavity, this problem becomes even more exacerbated since in known laser devices an (nxc3x97xcex) cavity is commonly used, thereby resulting in an electrical field at the centered quantum well layers, which has a smaller intensity than the electrical field located at the cavity edges.
A further advantage of designing the laser cavity to have an optical length of approximately (n+xc2xd)xc3x97xcex is that a minimum intensity of the electrical field prevails at the inter-face between the laser cavity and the first and second mirrors. When the first and second mirrors are attached to the laser cavity by wafer fusion, due to the minimum of the intensity of the electrical field the effects of the losses that could be present at the fused region are minimized, and thus the performance and the reliability of the fused VCSEL is significantly enhanced.
In a further embodiment, the VCSEL device further comprises a substrate supporting the quantum well layers, the laser cavity, and the first and second mirror means. Maintaining a substrate on which the VCSEL device is formed ensures increased mechanical stability.
In a further embodiment, the substrate is substantially an indium phosphide substrate.
In this case, the indium phosphide based quantum well layers and the first and the second indium phosphide layers in the laser cavity can readily be formed in a lattice-matched fashion, thereby minimizing the strain in the various material layers.
In a further embodiment, the substrate is substantially a gallium arsenide substrate that allows the growth of AlGaAs-based distributed Bragg reflectors as in conventional devices.
In one embodiment, the one or more quantum well layers are formed of a material composition including indium, gallium and arsenic.
As will be discussed later, quantum wells comprising indium, gallium and arsenic may advantageously be grown on an indium phosphide substrate or on a GaAs substrate, and this type of quantum well may readily be combined with high refractive index/low refractive index layer pairs for forming a distributed Bragg reflector as a monolithic structure.
In a further embodiment, the material composition of the one or more quantum well layers comprises aluminum to adjust characteristics of the quantum well layers in accordance with design requirements.
By adding aluminum to the quantum well layers, corresponding properties of the quantum well layers, such as refractive index and electronic characteristics, can be controlled.
In a further embodiment, the material composition further comprises phosphorous to adjust characteristics of the quantum well layers in conformity with design requirements.
Similarly, optical and electronic characteristics of the quantum well layers may be controlled by adding phosphorous to the quantum well layer.
Preferably, the VCSEL device comprises a pair of barrier layers arranged to sandwich the one or more quantum well layers.
In one embodiment, the barrier layer comprises indium phosphide or a compound of indium, gallium, aluminum, arsenic or a compound of indium, gallium, arsenic, phosphorous.
These material compositions provide an efficient lattice-matching to the first and second indium phosphide layers in the laser cavity.
Preferably, the first and/or the second mirror means comprise layers of low refractive index and high refractive index in an alternating fashion.
As previously noted, providing distributed Bragg reflectors within the first and second mirrors assists in achieving a high reflectivity of the first and second mirrors, to thereby obtain a large effective optical length of the resonator.
In a further embodiment, the layers of low refractive index comprise indium phosphide or a compound of indium, aluminum, arsenic, or a compound of aluminum, arsenic, antimony or a compound of aluminum, phosphorous, antimony.
Thus, the low refractive index layers forming the distributed Bragg reflectors may readily be formed on an indium phosphide substrate or an indium phosphide based laser cavity.
In one illustrative embodiment, the low refractive index layer additionally comprises gallium to adjust the characteristics in accordance with design requirements.
By adding gallium, optical as well electronic characteristics of the low refractive index layers may be adjusted in accordance with properties required for an optimum performance of the VCSEL device.
In one embodiment, the layers of low refractive index comprise aluminum arsenide.
According to this embodiment, standard processes developed for VCSEL devices having Bragg reflectors for output wavelengths in the range of 700-980 nm may readily be adapted to the VCSEL device of the present invention.
In one embodiment, the layers of low refractive index additionally comprise gallium to adjust the characteristics in accordance with design requirements.
Accordingly, the optical characteristics as well as the solid state behavior of the low refractive index layers may properly be adjusted by adding gallium.
In a further embodiment, the layers of high refractive index comprise a compound of indium, gallium, aluminum, arsenic or a compound of indium, gallium, arsenic, phosphorous or a compound of aluminum, gallium, arsenic, antimony or a compound of aluminum, gallium, phosphorous, antimony.
As in the case of the low refractive index layers, according to this embodiment the high refractive index layer may readily be formed on an indium phosphide substrate or on an indium phosphide based laser cavity.
In a further embodiment, the layers of high refractive index comprise a compound of gallium and arsenic.
Again, according to this embodiment, the well-established techniques for distributed Bragg reflectors on the basis of gallium arsenide may be employed by forming the VCSEL device according to the present invention.
In a further embodiment, the layers of high refractive index additionally comprise aluminum to adjust characteristics in conformity with design requirements.
In a further embodiment, the layers of low refractive index and the layers of high refractive index are formed of dielectric materials.
In a further embodiment, the layers of high refractive index comprise tantalum oxide, zinc selenide, titanium dioxide, or amorphous silicon. In addition the layers of low refractive index may comprise magnesium fluoride, calcium fluoride, strontium fluoride, silica or aluminum oxide.
According to the above-cited embodiments using dielectric materials, the optical properties of the first and second mirrors may be optimized to obtain the required high reflectivity with a minimum number of layers.
In a yet another embodiment, the VCSEL further comprises one or more heat distribution layers to transversely conduct heat from the quantum well layers to the periphery of the VCSEL device.
Providing heat distribution layers effectively enhances the efficiency of the laser device and additionally provides for an increased stability and reliability during operation of the device.
In one embodiment, at least one heat distribution layer is formed adjacent to the laser cavity.
This ensures efficient heat conduction from the laser cavity to the periphery of the device.
In one embodiment, the one or more heat distribution layers comprise indium phosphide.
As previously explained, indium phosphide comprises a high heat conductivity so that indium phosphide layers may effectively be used as heat distribution layers. Especially the first and second indium phosphide layers in the laser cavity effectively contact heat generated at the center of the VCSEL device by the quantum well layers to the periphery of the device, and thus allow a reliable continuous wave (cw) operation of the device.
In one illustrative embodiment, one or more heat distribution layers are formed in the first mirror means and/or in the second mirror means.
According to this embodiment, variations of the optical characteristics of the first and/or the second mirrors can be efficiently minimized by introducing one or more heat distribution layers into the first and/or second mirrors. In particular, when the first and/or the second mirrors are distributed Bragg reflectors based on commonly used compounds containing indium, the heat conductivity of such layers is significantly smaller than of ternary compounds. In this case, disposing one or more heat distribution layers, for example in the form of a binary indium phosphide layer, significantly enlarges the overall heat conductivity of a correspondingly formed distributed Bragg reflector.
Further objects, advantages and embodiments of the present invention follow from the dependent claims and the detailed description.